How to Answer: What motivates you the most in your current role?
16. What motivates you the most in your current role?
The Goal
The interviewer wants to know what keeps you excited in your current or most recent job. The goal of your response is to highlight the responsibilities that make you feel the most enthusiastic. This way, the hiring company can assess if the job will excite you long-term.
Written by Rachelle Enns on March 16th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid speaking negatively about your current or most recent role. If 'nothing' motivated you, the interviewer might get the impression that you focus primarily on the negative. Instead, consider even a small part of your role that makes you feel happy or proud, such as learning a new skill that you are ready to take into your next opportunity.
Written by Rachelle Enns on March 16th, 2022
Pro Tip
Situations that keep you motivated at work could include:
- Learning new skills
- Coaching others
- Exceeding targets
- Troubleshooting complex problems
- Coming up with creative solutions
The interviewer needs to see your enthusiasm for what you do, and one of the best ways to express this is by providing a specific example of your motivation in action. Consider telling a brief story around your most significant motivating factor. Then, connect these motivating factors to the new job opportunity.
Written by Rachelle Enns on March 16th, 2022
1st Answer Example
"I feel motivated when I have the opportunity to help others. This year, Company XYZ asked me to assist in a new training program for our outside sales reps. I helped our new hires feel comfortable and learn about our products and taught them how to cold call and prospect effectively. It felt wonderful to see these individuals flourish and find great success in the weeks after their training was complete. When I saw your job posting for an Assistant Training Manager and read that much of the role is training and coaching new hires, I knew I needed to apply."
Written by Rachelle Enns on March 16th, 2022
2nd Answer Example
"When I meet and exceed my goals and targets, I become incredibly motivated. I love to make a plan, put it into action, and then reap the rewards. For instance, last month, I exceeded my sales goals by 25%. As a result, I earned a spot in the top three Customer Service Reps out of 200 company-wide. The feeling was so rewarding that it motivated me to do even better this month. I was excited to hear that your organization offers clear performance targets with a strong incentive program for team members who exceed their targets."
Written by Rachelle Enns on March 16th, 2022
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"¢ I feel incredibly motivated to see positive trends in my daily management and exceed goals and targets.
"¢ Winning trust and leading impactful, high-priority global industrial transfer projects or acquisitions, or setting up new sites while being successful.
"¢ Helping my team on troubleshooting complex problems.
"¢ Coaching successors"
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